We’re less than a month away from the 2024 NFL Agent Exam. That means, for such a challenging exam, it’s crunch time. People who wait until a week before the test do themselves a disservice. That’s probably common sense. At the same time, how much studying is enough?

To find out, I asked several of my clients who used our exam prep services and/or who worked with us in Year 1 of their agent careers. This was the question: “How long did you prepare for the exam, and what did you take into the exam with you?” One of those people was LaVaughn Kelley of Divine Sports & Entertainment. LaVaughn was one of the select few rookie agents who actually got a player on a 90-man roster this summer (Washington IB Ralen Goforth, who signed a UDFA deal with the Packers).

Here’s what LaVaugnhn said.

“For me, I thought the earlier I began to study, the better off I would be. And to be honest, that was a complete wrong approach.

“You have to be fully engaged when preparing for this test. And I mean daily review and daily test preps in order to be fully prepared. This would be my new way of life, so I wanted my test prep to become my lifestyle.

“A huge help was being able to locate the articles of the CBA that applied to the test questions. Some charts you could commit to memory, but as long as you can locate them, it made things so much easier. Also most questions are for comprehension, so you have to understand what’s being asked, and then what knowledge from the CBA to apply in order to get the final answer.

“Though I was trying to study as early as possible, the most impactful time for my study prep really began about 60 days from the actual test. And I was able to have a study partner that I could call up, and we would meet at least twice a week, but we would review our notes daily by ourselves.

“When it came time for the test, all I had was all ITL test prep questions, the CBA and my notes. ITL test prep was the most useful resource for me because all of their test questions were much harder, which forced me to truly know the CBA concepts and what it took to be a certified NFLPA contract advisor.”

Here are some other responses.

Wyatt Mumfrey, Higher Calling Sports: “I probably spent six weeks preparing for the exam. The first three weeks were just a few hours here and there, including the ITL Zooms with (Chicago-based agent) Ian (Greengross). Those were super helpful. The three weeks before the exam were a little more intense, with at least an hour a day. I took off work for during the NFLPA seminars and studied hard those last few days leading up to the exam. On the day of the exam, I brought in my ITL exam guide, the materials the NFLPA sent us (excluding the CBA), and one-off pages from the CBA that had specific numbers on it (i.e. max fine amounts, post-season pay, per diem, etc).”

Demarius McRae, McRae Sports Group: “I began casually reviewing the CBA about eight weeks out from the exam date. As the test date approached, I began to focus more on the exam. Two weeks prior to test date, I began organizing my material and studying several hours a day. I reviewed information received from my exam prep course and the sections of the CBA that would appear of the exam. The NFLPA provided a review the week prior to the exam. I encourage you to take great notes and pay close attention to what is shared. This review was significant, and provided specific details about the exam questions. I also reorganized my binder following the review course and narrowed down the content in my binder. The time will fly by (during the exam), so know where to find things in your binder(s). I labeled every section in my binder so I could find information as quickly as possible. On the day of the exam, I took one WELL-ORGANIZED binder to reference during the exam.”

Michael Harris, Top Five Sports: “I didn’t want to take anything for granted, considering there is only one opportunity each year to take the exam. I began studying in mid-May. I initially used down time on flights and in the evenings to read the CBA in full prior to taking any notes. With an additional 15 documents or so to get familiar with as well, I wanted to get through the CBA in full so my mind could perceive any duplicate material as a high priority for the exam. My next step was to scour YouTube and Google for any supplemental articles and videos I could find where there were specific examples on any topics. Finally, I took advantage of the test prep seminar provided by the NFLPA. The examples used were certainly items to look out for on the exam. On test day, I brought the CBA and all the supplemental documents with highlighted areas on those documents. I also had a list of important dates and page references to salary, fines, and other quick-reference items. I wasn’t aware of ITL before the exam, but it has been a huge resource since joining the program. I would highly recommend using ITL for your test prep!”

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